Jinhao 82: an artist fountain pen review

[@blue2824]

I have two Jinhao 82 pens and both of them are incredible right out of the box. One is a medium nib and the other is a fine nib. Of course I flushed them before inking them up. The amount of feedback the extra fines have is definitely not for me but I can see where EF is valuable to an artist. My fine nib is just as smooth as my medium.
Roy
Auburn, WA.

[@stepheninks]

I could easily see a pen like this being really nice in a fine or medium. The extra fine being as extra fine as it is, I wouldn’t even mind an instrument with some thicker lines. It would probably be a much smoother writer out of the box as well.

[@morganblarue]

Your comments are delightful! I really enjoyed this.

[@stepheninks]

Thank you!

[@alejandroocana5020]

i've had only bad experiences with the N°5 nibs from Jinhao. That said, the pen itself is great. looks good, feels great, posts securely and doesnt dry if you dont use it for a while. i put a delike mini fude nib on mine and is my favorite pen by now. it will accept any N°5 nib (i've tried with a stub, two hongdian nibs and the delike nib, and with all of those the pen performed very well).

[@stepheninks]

In general, my experiences with Jinhao have been good, but most of the pens I have gotten from them have had the larger, #6 nib, so maybe that’s a pattern. I have the mini fude with my Delike brass pen, and it’s really fun!

[@adrianmuino3412]

Oh no, now I have to buy another one! It looks so well.

[@stepheninks]

It’s a very pretty pen. I endorse.

[@remyvegamedia]

Awesome. Just subscribed to your channel (and commented on the V126 video). I just ordered one of these 82s and the 9016 last week and waiting for it to arrive.
I spent $2.85 on the 9016 and $7 on the 82 haha. So I won't be mad if I have to tune the nib. But I'll have to get the stuff to do it, since I'm very new to this hobby. Another good review.

[@stepheninks]

I highly recommend a set of brass sheets, micro mesh and a pen/jewelry loupe to get you started. The ones I bought cost me less than the V126, and I use them constantly. That little investment has saved at least a dozen pens for me.

[@sudeepmukherjee4430]

I have the same Jinhao 82 with F nib. It worked out of the box. Very smooth nib. The only issue with it is it dries up if not used daily. Needed to clean it thoroughly twice to get it working and now I use it daily. Great video and many thanks for reviewing pens which don't cost an arm and a leg!

[@stepheninks]

I think the true fountain pen users (collectors are a different breed, in my opinion) should be focusing on pens that are in the low-mid tier price range. That way, you can have fun with this hobby no matter what your budget. My opinion anyway!

[@angryroostercreations5194]

I just bought a Fude version of this pen, and and it's currently in shipping. The Only Jinhao's i have experience with so far are some 992s that i bought to tinker with. i ground 3 of those into stub nibs of various size. i did have to scrape the grooves in the feed with an exacto knife on one to get the ink to flow wet enough to keep the broad strokes from skipping.

[@stepheninks]

Jinhao a are what gave me confidence to start tinkering with my pens. At 10USD per pen, it’s worth the risk.

[@raymondwichowski2689]

Very collectable at about $8, possibly cheaper if you buy multiples. Replace the nibs with Fountain Pen Revolution #5.5 nibs for around $3-5 each and you've got an excellent Frankenpen.

[@stepheninks]

The number of finishes available for this pen is surprisingly similar to the Sailor offerings, while not outright copying them (or costing 300USD+)

[@sunnycharacter]

I have three Jinhao 82s that I love, enough that they’re often my every day FPs. Two of them are medium nib, one is fude and worked perfectly the very first time. I have a pink, an aqua and an avocado green (which is the best nib which is very juicy). Each one was under $4! I have another in my cart right now, the Peacock blue clear in medium.

[@stepheninks]

I’d love to get some more finishes for this pen. It’s fantastic.

[@sunnycharacter]

@@stepheninks I’m quite pleased with them!

[@eileengoldenberg270]

If you draw the ink into the converter with the nib in the bottle of link that saturates the feed. I have many 82s and have compared them at the SFPENSHOW with a sailor progear.. these Jinhao are pretty good considering the price difference.

[@stepheninks]

That usually works when I do it, but for some reason I had trouble with this one. I have a pre gear slim, and I can confirm that the build quality of the body is nearly identical. The only big difference is the nib. To be fair to Sailor, that mf nib on the pro gear slim is fantastic.

[@nope8535]

This is on my list already. Thankfully even if I get a bad nib I can fix it now I am pretty confident in fixing it.

[@stepheninks]

The cheaper pens are always a no brainer to fix. You can easily make a 10USD pen feel like it’s 40 USD.

[@JordanQueiroz]

Nice review 😃

[@stepheninks]

Glad you liked it! This is a great pen!

[@cerealnana]

I really like Jinhao EF nibs! I think I've been lucky. It would be interesting to see you try a fude version! I'm shipping that other pen today(got sidetracked) so if I can find a spare fude I'll pop it in.

[@stepheninks]

Jinhao makes fude nibs? That’s wild! I think its kind of ironic (because the build quality is so similar), but I have a lot of love for the Sailor Fude de Mannen. Big fan of fude nibs in general.

[@IdShift]

I've been watching a ton of these videos comparing the 82 with the PGS, yet no one ever talks about the quality of the acrylic / resin and or durability. I would love to see a drop or crush test.

[@stepheninks]

As interesting as that sounds, I don’t think I could ever bring myself to crush a pen for content, it would break my heart.

[@madmex123]

Unless one is planning to use the pen as a weapon, I really don’t see the relevance to such test. And no, the pen isn’t mightier than the sword, that’s just a myth. 😁

[@gambler-royalenfield7450]

Hi Stephen. Jim from Madrid, Spain (a fellow artist and a New Yorker expat living abroad).
I have several (about 10) different types of Jinhao's and they write pretty good (8 with #6 nibs = & ; + 2 with nibs both)... I mean, ink flow is great and I don't have any complaints from a quality versus price point of view... If it wasn't for the fact that they do get dry very easily when not used for a while (a week or 2, for example) and the need to really clean 'em up thourghouly again, which is ok I guess for such cheap alternatives (again, and the fact that the ink flow is just fine when not dry).
But... My TWSBI ECO (), as well as my 2 Platinum Preppys ( & and these are also really cheap Fps- not as pretty but man do they work!) just don't get dry at all (I mean... If I don't use them in 2-3 weeks, they just start at the first try) and my Lamy Safari () dies dry out (the nib) but by just submerging the nib in water (a few seconds) and wiping it off, the ink will flow again easily without having to clean the whole thing again.
BTW - I use my FPs for EDC writing tools as well as for my Artwork (specially when Urban Sketching or just Sketching in general).
It would be a good idea to have some videos on this topic:
- How easily do FPs from different brands do dry out and are difficult to restart after not using for... a month maybe? - comparing them by FP level, for example (by level I mean by price point/quality provided because I think it's a great way of differentiation - at least and as an Artist, Budget is always an issue, if you know what I mean).
In any case... it's just an idea and thank you for your content (I am a subscriber to your RUclips channel and watch all videos, though I don't usually post a lot) and Cheers from Sunny Spain!!!!
😁👍😎✌

[@stepheninks]

That’s a great idea for a video. I need to write it down before I forget!

[@stepheninks]

That’s a great idea for a video. I need to write it down before I forget!

[@cyberapocalypse]

I have just bought a 82 and it doesn't write as well as my 2 Jinhao x750's. Out of interest what is your favorite pen for drawing? Thanks

[@stepheninks]

I suppose that exact pen would fluctuate from month to month, and sometimes even week to week. I really enjoy using different tools to constantly challenge what I know how to do. Several pens that usually end up at the top of that list are the Muji Pen, the HongDian Black Forest, the PenBBS 456, the platinum 3776 century, and the Pilot Kakuno.

[@LoidForger-wd4tg]

is there any other way to smoothen the nib without micromesh and brass sheets?

[@stepheninks]

I’ve never tried this, but I have seen some blog posts that swear by using the bottom of a coffee mug instead of micromesh. I don’t necessarily endorse it, as I’ve never tried it, but for a cheap pen, it might be worth testing.

[@cragglesharvey2774]

I own lots of Jinhao fountain pens and I’m lucky that once I’ve soaked them in soapy water to flush them they are usually amazing…..
Except the “82” ooooph beautiful pen I love it but the nib is so sharp and scratchy I couldn’t write with it. Being a #5 nib I changed it for a Goulet 1.1 steel nib. It writes so perfectly never skips a beat. It’s amazing.

[@stepheninks]

This one and the 80 gave me a bunch of trouble. I found that flossing the nib with brass sheets and using micro mesh for smoothing helps a lot with the original nibs. I don’t really have any issues with them anymore.

[@cragglesharvey2774]

Thanks for the reply it’s very appreciated. I’m quite new to fountain pen frenzy. I used them in the late 1970’s & 80’s at school but used biros for years then rollerballs and then I saw Kaweco sport and it’s very quickly escalated from there. I am still finding what I like 20 pens in but draw with them as well as writing. I’m slowly watching your videos and learning a lot, so many thanks 🙏

[@stepheninks]

@@cragglesharvey2774you probably will find a lot of repeat information in there, but you can get a free pdf copy of my book over at my website www.stepheninks.com . It might give you some other ideas to look into for figuring out what you want.
Shameless plug, I know… but a free one!

[@dylanrodriguez8203]

love your reviews . u need some playlist on this channel

[@stepheninks]

That’s probably a good project for my next vacation!

[@ichirofakename]

1. I bought a couple with fude nibs because they are super cheap and pretty. And I'm convinced that any old company can make a serviceable fude. Which they are. To me the plastic body feels cheaper and flimsier than on a Sailor PGS.
2. Were I a minimalist (if only!) I could get by with two pens, an extra fine and a fude.

[@stepheninks]

The fude is awesome for drawing. I do find, however, that it informs my style a bit more than I want it to. Like, I create things with the fude that I wouldn’t think of with another pen. It’s super fun, but I have a hard time taking such a stylistic turn in what I make sometimes, if that makes sense.

[@ichirofakename]

@@stepheninks it would be interesting (to me) to see an example.

[@stepheninks]

@@ichirofakenameinteresting idea for a future video.

[@stepheninks]

@@ichirofakename I might be able to provide that!

[@jennypai1776]

Usually, I just prime the feed by setting the pen upside down for a few minutes

[@stepheninks]

That ought to do it. Most of the time, I just wait, and it’s ready.

[@kan-zee]

$23 Canadian, Jinhao 82, compared to $171 cad Sailor pro gear pen...duhh..doesn't take a finance officer to figure out which is better...LOL

[@stepheninks]

Sure, the more expensive one is going to be better made, that goes without saying. However, there is a very interesting conversation to have about value as compared to price. Is a pen 5X the price of its cheaper counterpart really 5X as good? Sometimes yes, but sometimes no. You have to look at them in detail to find out. I think it’s also important to let others chime in and share their experience. That’s the point of all this RUclips stuff, right?